Chosen by the Riexian Prince Read online

  No one so mutch as twitched as we stared at Tryel. He looked proud of our numb response to him as his red eyes cut through the room, taking in our varying degrees of fear and discomfort.

  “Good, you have already begun to separate yourself based on your Ariex roles. You may begin to work. Your TerraLinks will have all the data that you need. If you have any questions, use your brains and try to work them out as a group. If you still do not know the answer, I will help you.” He clapped his hands together, making a few people in the crowd jump. “Get to work.”

  Liddia squeezed my hand before shuffling to her group. The others separated and claimed tables as they sat down to get to work. As the room settled, it became clear that there really was no one in the room with the same dress as my own. I had hoped maybe someone was hiding in the corner.

  Instead it was just me, and I stuck out like a rattling snake on a quiet night.

  “You. Breeder.”

  I winced as Tryel stalked toward me, expression dark. “Why are you not working?” That got attention from those around us. Someone snickered, but when Tryel’s attention shifted in their direction, it stopped. His gaze came back to me, harder this time.

  My jaw ached with how tightly I clamped my mouth shut.

  “Well?” he asked.

  Irritation flitted through me and I narrowed my eyes. “Where am I supposed to go?” I snapped at the old man. My predicament should have been obvious. “I am the only one.”

  “Warning one, breeder. Do not push it.” He held his hand out. “I-dent. Now.”

  Swallowing my response, I turned so he could see my wrist.

  His entire demeanor changed in the span of a breath as he read it. His expression softened and he broke out into a wide grin.

  “Excellent. Come sit here.” He moved me to an empty table with headphones. In the tabletop was a screen that I hadn’t noticed until it lit up. Symbols appeared on them, none of it that I could make out. Tryel hit the symbols until a video popped up. “Watch this. If you are expected to please the king, you must first know who he is.” He shoved the headphones onto my head and walked away.

  I stared down at the video as it dove into the history of Ambassador Kryn. As the video went on, the deeper my fear became as I stared at the old man and learned about his past. It was full of battles, blood, and an iron fist as he ruled his people.

  Ambassador Kryn had one son. As the familiar form came onto the screen, I realized exactly who it was. I had met him already. Kyel. The cocky Riexian who had expected us to bow at his feet when he introduced himself. I glanced up, noting that Tryel was busy at the table where Liddia sat. I hit the pause button, staring at Kyel.

  The Riexian was massive, his muscles bulging through his robes. Red eyes were hard, but it wasn’t fear that went down my spine. A different kind of awareness that caused my lower abdomen to tighten and my pussy to clench. There was something about him that sent awareness through me. It didn’t help that when we had met him at the welcome dinner, I got a huge dose of his presence. It had been suffocating and it was hard to stand straight against him. He had nearly overwhelmed me and I knew if anyone were to cross him, he’d easily overpower them with the strength that was sculpted in his long limbs. With the grey skin, Kyel had truly looked like a statue waiting to avenge anyone who dared to cross him.

  A throat cleared and I looked up at Tryel. He was frowning, staring at the screen. Without saying anything, he leaned over and pressed play so that Kyel’s image disappeared and video continued to play. The history went through how Ambassador Kryn killed his wife—Kyel’s mother—and had gone through a series of wives, trying to obtain a new heir. None of his past wives were currently living, all murdered by his hands when he wasn’t satisfied.

  I leaned back in my chair, my shoulders slumping.

  They were sending me to my death. That was what this was. It wouldn’t be an execution the way we knew it, where criminals were dragged out into the desert for the sun to claim. But this was still an execution if I couldn’t hold my end of the bargain as a breeder.

  5

  Kyel

  My robes rustled against the floor as Drayl and I made our way to the banquet hall. Needing more time with Nora, I had decided to host another dinner party. Frankly, it was the only reason I’d bother with all these humans. I’d honor them with my presence, make them feel like they are on their way to a better life—which was true anyway—and find Nora.

  Drayl’s disapproval practically dripped off of him. Our friendship had lasted long enough that I knew he was at the edge, ready to go into another one of his lectures. A chunk of our conversations revolved around Nora and my emotions as of late. He was in disagreement with me. It wasn’t going to change anything. My very existence demanded that I ensured Nora was safe and healthy.

  “This is not a good idea,” Drayl said, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me to a stop.

  I shrugged off his touch, scowling hard at him.

  He didn’t care and went on. “You know what kind of ending this is. What will happen if you try to pursue any kind of interaction with the girl. You need to stop.”

  “I am only throwing a dinner party. Making the humans feel like they are part of something.”

  Drayl scowled. “We both know that is not true. You wanted nothing to do with them at the welcoming party.”

  “They have already gathered. It’d be disgraceful of me to not show after promising to do so.”

  Drayl didn’t respond but his thoughts were loud and clear enough. If given the opportunity, he’d drag me away from the party. Away from Nora.

  “You are so close to claiming the throne. Don’t mess it up now over a little earthling female. All you need to do is keep your head down and the throne will be yours once the old man passes away. Besides, no one knows if humans are compatible enough with us to carry our seed. She may not be able to have a child, let alone a strong male child good enough to be an heir.

  “Enough.” I waved him off and stalked to the banquet hall. “Announce me.”

  Drayl glowered before smoothing out his features into a blank slate and stepped through the door. The low rumbling from the inside quieted.

  “Announcing Kyel, house of Kei, and son of Ambassador Kryn, High Lord of Ariex.” Drayl’s voice boomed through the door.

  The moment he finished, I stepped through, back straight, shoulders squared, and gaze straight. The room buzzed with nervous energy from the humans. My people saluted me in perfect form, their training taking over in my presence. Inwardly, I smiled at that.

  The room had been emptied of the tables, leaving behind only a long buffet table full of meat, fish, fruit, and vegetables. Our Riexian doctors worked closely with our chefs to ensure the humans’ diets were well balanced considering their dietary needs were different from Riexians.

  The salutes were held until I forced a smile and nodded, accepting their greeting. “Enjoy. Mingle. Tonight is an opportunity to learn about two very different cultures—Riexian and humans both.” With those words, everyone relaxed and a low murmur picked up as conversations began once again.

  I moved through the crowd, doing my best to find Nora within all the bodies. Drayl stayed at my side, and if he could, he’d remain there. Ditching him would be difficult, but not something I hadn’t done before. I only needed to find the female first.

  I came to a halt when a flash of red hair caught my attention. She stood in the corner, grinning big as she took a huge bite of the stick of meat in her hand and then washed it down with water. She did it again, uncaring that she was only using her hands. Her enjoyment of the food made me proud. It was food I had helped procure after all and if she liked it, then that was all that mattered. In a way, it felt like I was taking care of her.

  Nora ate like a heathen, drawing a chuckle from me. Her gaze was on the group of humans nearby holding a plate with one hand and trying to use a fork with the other. It was a balancing act that wasn’t going to work. The amusement Nora was feeling drew
me in and I watched as she snickered before wrapping her plush lips around the meat and taking a bit. The scene of her lips around the stick was enough for me to harden. I suppressed a moan as all of me demanded that I went to her.

  Nora glanced around and froze as her green eyes met mine. I tried to smile, but it slipped away as her nose wrinkled up and she bared her teeth at me, as if challenging me to a duel. It should have angered me. If it came from anyone else, I wouldn’t have hesitated to remove their heads from their bodies. But I only felt pleasure. She was cute as she looked at me like that. Her gaze narrowed before she moved, further away from me. Between the groups of people, I was able to watch as she grabbed more food, but then Drayl appeared before me, blocking me from the sight of her.

  “What?” I asked in a frustrated voice, my question coming out with a sharp snap.

  “I have brought you a gift,” Drayl said, unrepentant. He knew exactly what he did and he’d keep doing it until we arrived at Ariex and Nora was delivered to my father.

  My best friend motioned to two women. They wore copper-red dresses, made to form to their figures. The shorter one was more voluptuous, all her curves enough to drive any man into a daydream. The tall one was lithe, but there was a strength in her that promised a pleasurable time. Both of them tried to smile, but there was no hiding their nerves. They had only begun their training. As they gained experience, that nervousness would disappear.

  “Enjoy them, Kyel. They will be good company.”

  I scowled and waved them off. “No.” I stalked away, irritated that Drayl would try to push whores my way. I had my fun through the years, but the idea of touching anyone who wasn’t Nora made my stomach twist with disgust. They were not who I was interested in. Her and only her.

  Following after Nora, I glance around, hoping to get a glimpse of her hair. It took a few rounds of dodging Drayl and anyone else determined to pull me into a conversation until I found her once again. She was talking with a Riexian instructor, smiling at whatever the man was saying. Acidic jealously burned in my stomach, forcing me to swallow a growl.

  I couldn’t do anything, not here, not with the situation we were in. I couldn’t broadcast my interest in Nora when it was clear by the color of her dress that she was a breeder. There were expectations placed on her and on me. All I could do was wait while she smiled at the instructor.

  To keep myself entertained, I imagined what it’d be like to take a Pryori gun to his head and watch it burst. It wasn’t enough. To negate the jealousy, I focused on Nora. On how her silvery-blue dress pressed against her frame, highlighting her green eyes and making the reds in her hair look like they were set ablaze.

  Suddenly, she turned, looking at me once again. Not wanting her to know I was following, I tried to face away from her, and instead hit someone. They let out a yelp as wet things landed on my face and clothes. We went down in a tangle of limbs, something clattering against the floor loud enough to draw everyone’s attention. Food scattered all over, including on me.

  Silence rippled through the room as everyone turned to the disturbance. Gasps were heard throughout the crowd.

  Blood Goddess, could you make this worse?

  “Damn, are you all right?” Daryl asked, hovering over me.

  Servants surrounded us, trying to clean the mess—and me—up.

  The whispers around us became louder and I swore someone chuckled. I had expected that from Daryl, but his expression was still filled with only concern, and he was the type to wait until we were in private to laugh at me. I glance toward Nora, but she wasn’t standing there anymore. The instructor gaped at us

  “I am so sorry, Lord Kyel.” The male server was on his feet, trying to brush the mess off of me. I licked my lips, tasting sweetness. It had been one of the jelly desserts. The server tried to pull me to my feet.

  I slapped his hand. “Do not touch me.”

  “I’m sorry, my lord.” He did a frantic half bow.

  Daryl stared down the server. “Leave him.” The man swallowed and stepped away. Daryl grabbed my arm and helped me to my feet. His lip quirked up into a small smile before disappearing as quickly. If I hadn’t known him so well, I wouldn’t have recognized the look. “You are a mess. Best to go back to your quarters and clean yourself.”

  “I know.” I smacked off the bits of food that was still plastered to me. Anger rose as my embarrassment increased. Me, a prince, embarrassing myself like that. If it had occurred on Ariex, everyone would have known what had happened before the day ended. My father would use it as an example as to how incompetent I was.

  Not wanting to stick around any further, and beyond frustrated that Nora disappeared, I shrugged off my best friend and made my way out of the room, too aware of all the eyes on me and the suppressed laughter that a few of them held in. Only training kept me stoic as I walked out the doors and away from that blasted room.

  I ran a hand over my head. My nose curled into disgust as something cold and wet dropped into the collar of my robes and landed on my skin.

  I rounded the corner, more than ready to return to my pod when I came to halt, almost running into someone else. Seemed there was a theme tonight. I glowered at the person until I realized it was the one person I’d been searching for. Nora.

  “There you are,” I tried to say smoothly, but I ended up only sounded like a petulant child. I held back a wince at my lack of propriety.

  “Are you searching for me, Prince Kyel?” Nora tilted her head to the side, waiting for me to answer. Her stare was unwavering as they stayed on mine. Malice dripped from her question. “Would you like to check out your father’s merchandise? Make sure it’s up to your standards?”

  I almost stepped back from her confrontation. That had never been my intention. If anything, I want to keep her as far away from that man as possible. If I could drop her off on some obscure planet on the other side of the galaxy, I would do so if it meant she would be safe. Irritation rushed through me and I twisted it into something I could work with.

  My postures went rigid and with a sharpening tone responded. “No. That is preposterous.”

  “Is it?” she asked, stepping closer.

  Her sweet scent overwhelmed me, sending my mind into a whirlwind of need and want. I needed to pull her into my arms and I wanted to growl at anyone who dared to try to remove her from that spot, including my father. Or that damn instructor. I curled my fingers into a tight fist, doing my best to not touch her.

  “I know what’s going on,” she said in a lower voice. Something flashed in her eyes, but it was too fast for me to recognize. She was able to hide it quickly behind the mask of a woman who fought to survive and was determined to continue to do so, no matter what that involved. “I’m meant to create an heir. For your father, that means someone to take his place. For you, it means you get absolutely nothing. All his other wives failed and I’m the last chance before he passes away from old age. I imagine you want to make sure that doesn’t happen.” Her lip curled up. “It would be a shame if something happened to me before we landed on your home planet. An unfortunate accident that leaves your father without a breeder.”

  My anger snapped and I growled. The very thought of anything happening to Nora sent me into a rage. I shoved Nora back against a wall, pressing my body against her. I glared down at her, breathing heavily. My instincts screamed to take her to my quarters. To claim her as mine. Then no one would dare to touch her. She’d be safe.

  “No one gets to hurt you,” I whispered. “Never me, and not anyone on this ship. I will tear off their head and shove it up their asses if they so much as look at you the wrong way.”

  Nora’s eyes were wide with shock. As my anger receded, a new kind of awareness ran through my body, responding to the very woman I had considered mating with. I took in a deep breath, hoping to suppress my body’s reaction. It was a mistake as her scent permeated every part of me. She filled my lungs, as potent as Greeg FireSlug Juice, but smoother to keep down. My thoughts all shifted
to her, to the way her chest rose as she breathed, the way her parted lips invited me to take them. I wanted to claim every part of her.

  Would she taste as good as I imagined her to? How would her green eyes look after I did so? Would the deepness to them swallow me whole as her pupils expanded with desire? How red would her skin get when she got lost in passion?

  Determined to know, I leaned forward, intent on tasting her lips before exploring her body and tasting other parts of her. How would she sound as I made her come around my mouth?

  “No.” Her hands were on my chest pushing me away from her. That was when I realized I was inches away from her, so close to claiming her. She pushed again, the heat of her hands searing through my robes and into my chest, until the feel of her wrapped around my heart. I moaned at the feel of her and tried to lean closer, wanting to feel more of her against me.

  Nora shoved me again, forcing me to lean back, though I still remained in front of her, refusing to give her more space.

  “Yes,” I whispered.

  Her eyes turned into slits. “No. You rich bastards are all the same, no matter if you live in caves or ships or castles. You only know how to take.”

  Her body jerked and I registered the pain before I realized what she did. I was leaning, clutching my cocks as she sneered down at me. My stomach clenched with the pain and I nearly coughed up my stomach’s contents.

  Nora stood over me, like an avenging Blood Goddess.

  “Lesson one in humility: When a woman says no, it means no.” Nora laughed bitterly and shook her head. “I really hope your balls are in the same spot as a human’s.” She stalked off, leaving me wheezing for breath as I tried to breathe through the pain. My eyes watered, her figure turning into a hazy silhouette as she got further away.

  Nora’s information said nothing about her being a warrior. I coughed, forcing myself to my feet, using the wall to keep me standing. Her reaction should have turned me off, I should have demanded that she be punished. Instead, I smiled as the pain receded. The idea of Nora being a warrior only turned me on more.